
These two men are practicing capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. As part of this class, capoeira is studied as an example of expressive culture and identity. (Photograph courtesy of flickr user archangel12. CC-BY.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Graham Jones
MIT Course Number
21A.00
As Taught In
Spring 2013
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
Through the comparative study of different cultures, anthropology explores fundamental questions about what it means to be human. It seeks to understand how culture both shapes societies, from the smallest island in the South Pacific to the largest Asian metropolis, and affects the way institutions work, from scientific laboratories to Christian mega-churches. This course will provide a framework for analyzing diverse facets of human experience such as gender, ethnicity, language, politics, economics, and art.